DRI seizes over 27 kg of smuggled gold; 12 arrested in nationwide crackdown
The operations uncovered sophisticated smuggling methods, including concealment inside aircraft lavatories, specially fabricated vehicle cavities, utensils, and body concealment.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 27 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold and arrested 12 people in a series of intelligence-led operations conducted across India.
NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 27 kg of foreign-origin smuggled gold and arrested 12 people in a series of intelligence-led operations conducted across India. The operations uncovered sophisticated smuggling methods, including concealment inside aircraft lavatories, specially fabricated vehicle cavities, utensils, and body concealment.
Major operations included:
- Mumbai Airport: Three passengers arriving from Addis Ababa were arrested after DRI recovered 12 kg of gold bars hidden inside the ceiling panels of an aircraft lavatory. Investigators said the gold was intended to be retrieved later by airport staff.
- Uttar Pradesh: A woman travelling on the Brahmaputra Mail was caught carrying 5 kg of foreign-origin gold concealed in a waist belt and handbag. She reportedly admitted the gold had been smuggled through Bangladesh.
- Mumbai Airport: In another case, DRI dismantled a syndicate using aircraft lavatories to conceal 3.7 kg of gold dust in wax form, leading to the arrest of five persons, including cleaning staff, handlers and recipients.
- Kolkata Railway Station: Officers recovered 4.6 kg of foreign-origin gold hidden inside specially fabricated utensils. The investigation indicated the consignment had been smuggled through Myanmar.
- Cochin and Guwahati: Around 2 kg of smuggled gold was seized in separate operations, with two more arrests. Gold was concealed inside a passenger’s body in one case and inside a specially fabricated car cavity in the other.
The DRI said the operations reflect its continued crackdown on organised gold smuggling syndicates and demonstrate the increasingly sophisticated methods being adopted to evade detection.
